23rd Annual Jewish Educator Awards Luncheon

Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd • Los Angeles • December 13, 2012 Welcome Dr. Gil Graff Executive Director BJE

National Anthems Cantor Nathan Lam Stephen S. Wise Temple

Greetings MILKEN FAMILY FOUNDATION David Siegel Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles

Jewish Remarks Richard Sandler Executive Vice President Educator Milken Family Foundation Awards HaMotzi Sholom Tendler Mesitva Birkas Yitzchok

Lunch

Birkat HaMazon Rabbi Aharon Wilk Maimonides Academy

Video Presentation

Presentation of Awards Richard Sandler

Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd • December 13, 2012 Sponsored by the Milken Family Foundation in cooperation with BJE, a beneficiary agency of The Jewish Federation Message from the Milken Family Foundation

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other wings.

— H. Carter

A quality education nourishes the roots of a strong Jewish identity, implanting core values and fertile learning while endowing youth with the wings to fly, test their limits and build a future that honors the past.

This complex and critical task is dependent upon outstanding educators. Surely, we must honor and recognize the most talented among the fine BJE teachers, administrators and specialists in nearly 40 schools. By surprising four exceptional educators with their Jewish Educator Awards before entire school communities, we proclaim very publicly that excellence in education should be rewarded. In recognizing the essential contributions that educators make to our society, we hope to encourage our next generation to consider the adventure of teaching. This connection is further reinforced through the JEA Student Essay Contest, open to middle and high school students at BJE-affiliated schools.

As we seek to attract, retain and motivate greater numbers of high-caliber individuals to pursue Jewish day school education as a profession, it is imperative that we provide them with opportunities and incentives for their work to flourish. Those we honor today— Mary Itri, Rabbi Usher Klein, Rabbi Baruch Kupfer and Lidia Turner—are role models deserving of emulation for their intelligence, scholarship, creativity and compassion. We are truly blessed by such educators, who ground our youth with the requisite knowledge and skills for success, while instilling the ethics and values that will allow them to soar.

Lowell Milken R richard Sandler Chairman and Co-Founder Executive Vice President

2 Message from BJE: Builders of

This year’s Milken Family Foundation Jewish Educator Awards are presented during the week of . The holiday celebrates a victory that, eventually, restored Judaean sovereignty more than 2,000 years ago. Though military success was a significant part of the story, Jewish tradition emphasizes spiritual renewal—the rededication of the Temple—as the focus of the celebratory holiday. The chose a passage from Zechariah exalting the spirit, over might and power, as the prophetic selection to be read on the Shabbat of Hanukkah.

Educators nurture the enduring spirit of learning, enabling generations of students to take their place as thinking, inquisitive, contributing members of the communities of which they are a part. Those who teach at Jewish schools link their students to the Jewish people and its values, across time and place. How fitting to recognize excellence in education at this time of year.

The year 2012 marks 75 years since BJE was established. In 1937, it served 12 affiliated schools: five Hebrew Schools, three () Folk Shulen; three Workmen’s Circle Schools and one Child Care Center; there were no Jewish day schools in Los Angeles. Today, 39 BJE-affiliated day schools educate more than 9,500 students, grades K–12.

The Milken Family Foundation has been a longstanding leader in making Jewish educational opportunity available to children and families and in strengthening and recognizing excellence in education. BJE is appreciative of the partnership of the Milken Family Foundation in advancing its mission of encouraging participation, enhancing quality and promoting access to Jewish education. We honor and thank Mary Itri, Rabbi Usher Klein, Rabbi Baruch Kupfer and Lidia Turner, who brighten the lives and spirits of generations of students through their commitment to excellence in education.

Sincerely,

Donna S. Nadel Gil Graff, Ph.D. President, BJE Executive Director, BJE

3 Jewish Educator Awards

The Milken Family Foundation, in partnership with BJE, established the Jewish Educator Awards (JEA) in 1990 as an adjunct to the Milken Educator Awards. Each fall, four unsuspecting educators in BJE-affiliated schools are surprised before their entire school communities with individual unrestricted Jewish Educator Awards of $15,000 each. Honorees reflect the highest ideals of Jewish and secular education, fostering the lifelong pursuit of knowledge and nurturing a value system that can guide students through adulthood. Recipients also demonstrate an outstanding ability to develop Jewish children’s understanding of the connections among their religion, classroom activities and lives outside of school.

Goals Outstanding educators who continue to learn are essential to foster student growth, improve schools and enhance the education profession. Hence, the goals of the Jewish Educator Awards are:

• To honor and reward outstanding Jewish • To increase public awareness of day school educators for the quality the importance of their role in the of their teaching, their professional community and in society. leadership, their engagement with families and the community, and their • To encourage able, caring and creative potential for even greater contributions people to choose the challenge, service to the healthy development of children. and adventure of education as a career.

• To increase public support and recognition for Jewish day school educators who make outstanding contributions to the development of their students.

4 Selection • Strong long-range potential for even greater contributions to children, Award recipients are selected by a committee the profession and society. of educators—both professional and lay leaders from the Jewish community—who have a long- • Distinguished achievement in developing standing concern for and involvement with innovative educational curricula, programs education in Jewish schools. and/or teaching methods.

To be eligible for consideration, educators • Outstanding ability to instill character and must teach a minimum of 15 hours per self-confidence in students. week at the K–12 level. They must have been teaching for a minimum of seven years in a • Outstanding ability to develop Jewish BJE-affiliated school. children’s understanding of the connections among their religion, their classroom activities, Criteria considered for the selection of Jewish and their activities beyond the classroom. Educator Award recipients include: • Commitment to professional development • Exceptional educational talent and promise, and excellence, and the continuing Judaic as demonstrated by outstanding practices in and/or secular study necessary for it. the classroom, school and community. • Personal involvement in responding to the • Evidence of originality, dedication and needs of the Jewish and secular communities. capacity for leadership and self-direction. Criteria for administrators also include an • Commitment to influencing policies that outstanding ability to attract, support and affect children, their families and schools. motivate committed education professionals. 5 Mary Itri General Studies Teacher, Grade 5 Director, Spring Musical, Grades 4–6 Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School

Creative in her roles as both a fifth-grade general studies teacher and as impresario of the annual Spring Musical, Mary Itri has sparked a love for learning in generations of students. Mrs. Itri’s acting background in stage and film informs her favorite role as teacher. She integrates the Meisner Method of Acting into her classroom management and instruction— particularly those principles for reading behavior and being in the moment—to address individual student learning styles and enhance the curriculum. She has served as a grade- level chairperson and mentored both DeLeT Fellows and student teachers. Colleagues look to her as a leader and role model.

Passionate about the potential of the performing arts to inspire students to higher levels of achievement, Mrs. Itri directs the annual Spring Musical. This tradition is widely recognized for its extraordinary professionalism. From spending her summer breaks selecting and adapting the play to collaborating with colleagues and building community partners who help ensure a successful outcome, Mrs. Itri is the driving force behind the entire production. The experience is a hands-on learning opportunity, carefully designed to reinforce Judaic values as it builds student self-confidence and skill in oral presentations. Thanks to Mrs. Itri, the musical has had a major impact on students who seek a form of personal expression that is different from playing a sport, but which offers the satisfaction and growth that comes with being part of a team mentality. 6 Rabbi Usher Klein Ninth-Grade Birkas Yitzchok

As the iconic ninth-grade rebbe, Rabbi Usher Klein spent seven years at YULA, where he solidified an Advanced Gemara track before co-founding Mesivta Birkas Yitzchok in 2006. For incoming students, the opportunity to anchor a high school career with Rabbi Klein as the ninth-grade rebbe is a primary reason for the school’s waiting list of boys from a variety of . Rabbi Klein is a gifted pedagogue who teaches students to think analytically and to grasp deep conceptual ideas of Talmudic Law. He has implemented several programs for learning, among them the Mishnah Brura to enable students to research laws on their own, a Survey of quick topical learning, and the classic Learning with one-on-one study partners. Rabbi Klein’s energetic presentation and genuine respect for students is known to transform even those who previously dreaded Talmudic study into students eager to delve deeper into learning. The Klein home is always open to students and is especially popular for Oneg Shabbos.

Rabbi Klein’s influence extends beyond his high school responsibilities. He teaches Talmud to adults every afternoon in the Mesivta Birkas Yitzchok Beit Midrash and presents adult Talmud classes two nights a week at Yeshiva of Los Angeles. As a trained and certified sofer (scribe), he is often called upon to check a mezuzah or correct a sefer , and he is a sought-after speaker in many Pico-Robertson area congregations, further enriching the life of the community. 7 Rabbi Baruch Kupfer Executive Director Maimonides Academy

When Rabbi Baruch Kupfer was recruited as executive director of Maimonides Academy in 1984, the school had 184 pupils. Today, Maimonides is at capacity with 520 students, from pre-K through eighth grade. Under Rabbi Kupfer’s leadership, the school strives to be at the forefront of innovation in both Judaic and general studies, with a consistent focus on pride, commitment and dedication. The culture of excellence is characterized by highly qualified educators who continually improve, thanks to professional development opportunities, ongoing refinements to the instructional program, and an array of arts and enrichment programs. Of special note is the Middot Tovot—a focus on character and growth for young Jewish Americans. Rabbi Kupfer’s team endeavors to teach the individual child, regardless of where each is on the learning spectrum. Understanding the influence of home and family on students, he personally conducts adult education seminars for parents on Jewish texts.

In addition to his efforts to achieve a high level of academic performance and growth, Rabbi Kupfer sees to it that the school is fiscally sound. He heads a $26-million building campaign—of which half has been raised—to completely rebuild Maimonides’ campus. In the broader community, he represents the yeshiva cluster of schools on the BJE committee that is focused on building day school operational capacity. Baruch, “blessed,” is aptly descriptive of Rabbi Kupfer’s contributions to Jewish day school education in Los Angeles. 8 Lidia Turner Hebrew Teacher and Coordinator, Nofim Israel Education Program Saperstein Middle School of Milken Community High School

Uruguay-born Lidia Turner first became a Hebrew and Jewish studies teacher in her native country, then pursued graduate work as an architect. Upon immigrating to the U.S., she worked in architecture but soon turned full time to her first love—instilling in young people “the importance of being an educated link in the chain of Jewish generations.” With a guitar always at the ready, Mrs. Turner infuses music into her Israel and Hebrew curriculum as a way of incorporating the students’ senses into their learning. A dynamic teacher who makes Hebrew relevant and engaging, Mrs. Turner maintains a close pulse on the emotional and academic well-being of each of her students and is skilled at supporting them in meeting her high standards.

As a master teacher, Mrs. Turner leads Israel education and programming for faculty as well as students. The heart of her work has been coordinating the Nofim Israel Education Program (developed jointly by a team of educators in Israel and at Milken) and integrating it across the curriculum. Mrs. Turner creates Israel Special Days that engage the entire student body; for example, a Yom Ha’atzmaut/Israel Independence Day celebration during which students reenact the events of 1948. She utilizes primary source texts on Israeli history and culture, and bridges the geographic divide between California and Israel through an experiential, multi-media curriculum. During the summer, Mrs. Turner leads a two-week Nofim Israel faculty training trip to Israel that features studies with Israeli scholars, historians and artists. 9 JEA Student Essay Contest Judges

10 3 rd Annual Jewish Educator Awards Student Essay Contest

Talented teachers and talented students go hand in hand, so the Jewish Educator Awards Student Essay Contest was a natural extension of the partnership between the Milken Family Foundation and BJE. Participation is open to middle and high school students at all BJE-affiliated schools.

As with the Jewish Educator Awards, recognition of excellence is an important part of the competition, which presents an unrestricted gift of $1,800 to the schools of the prize-winning essayists. Two winners are selected, one at the middle and one at the high school level. In addition, each of the students selected will have the opportunity to designate a $500 contribution to an approved charity of his or her choice.

The 2012 themes ask students to ponder the following questions.

Middle School Topic: If there were one Jewish value that you could effectively teach to someone, what would that value be? What impact would it have on society if everyone were to embrace that value?

High School Topic: Are there Jewish values that influence your views on the upcoming Presidential election? What are those values and how do they influence your thinking?

JEA Student Essay Contest Judges

Sincere appreciation goes to the judges for their thoughtful review and deliberation in selecting JEA Student Essay Contest finalists.

David Suissa Eileen Horowitz Elaine Lindheim President DeLeT Education Director Past President, BJE Jewish Journal Hebrew Union College - Former Middle School Jewish Institute of Religion Language Arts Teacher Jewish Educator Award Recipient, 2004 11 Daniela Mirell 8th Grade Sinai Akiba Academy

“Jewish Values”

I would choose the Jewish value of always trying to move closer to G-d. I believe that having a spiritual life reminds us that we should act as if we were made in G-d’s image. When I take the opportunity to think of my relationship with G-d, I realize how lucky I am to have everything I have in this world. When I look around me, I see all of G-d’s creations—including my family, my friends, my teachers and my community. Realizing that we are part of something greater than ourselves gives us more reason to appreciate each other. I would like others to share in this value. By being spiritual, people can stop focusing on all the unimportant things in life. They need to realize that, in everything they do, they have a chance to connect with G-d. Some people might think that spirituality is just about sitting with your own thoughts or praying. But the Jewish value of spirituality is actually about making our lives more holy. We do this in many different ways. I feel spiritual when I help other children, like when our school participated in the “Nurture Now’’ program. There were moments when I felt a closer connection to G-d because I had a closer connection to these kids. I wish other people would realize that, since G-d is all around us, if you want to be spiritual you have to reach out and touch others around you. I find that there are times in my life when I am quietly talking to G-d and I can start to think of new ideas about how to make my life and other peoples’ lives better. There is so much going on in the world that people don’t pause long enough to really think about the consequences of their actions. But spirituality makes us think about how G-d would look at what we do. We really cannot do just anything we want because we are being judged. We are not just being judged by the people around us, but we are also being judged by G-d. I know that there are many important Jewish values like education, tzedakah and tikkun olam. But I selected spirituality because too often we just go through the motions of learning and contributing money without doing it from our souls. What I love about the Jewish value of spirituality is that it makes all my thoughts and all my actions worthier. If everyone in society would embrace their ability to reach out to G-d, both quietly and in helping others, they would act more appropriately and find more value in the acts they perform. Most importantly, it would create on earth the type of environment that other religions think only happens in heaven. The Jewish value of spirituality teaches us that, through our acts, we can create a place on this earth that G-d would find holy.

12 Jake Davidson 12th Grade Milken Community High School

“Obama, Romney, Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam”

Throughout my six years at Milken Community High School, an overarching question has been whether I classify myself as an American Jew or a Jewish American. Until recently, I approached this question with indifference simply because many Jewish values like tzedakah and tikkun olam are synonymous with virtue and moral rectitude: social principles that are held in high regard by our American value system. This is the first Presidential election I have become invested in and I am just beginning to develop my individual political doctrine. My conclusion is that I am a Jewish American. This doesn’t mean I embrace Judaism while forsaking American values, but simply that I place a higher premium on Jewish values than issues plaguing America. The Talmudic idea “Kol yisrael areivim zeh la-zeh” states that “all the people of Israel are responsible for one another.” This dictum has many interpretations. For me, it means that that must care for one another. To me, when deciding on a Presidential candidate, this belief takes precedence over other key issues like healthcare and the economy. Caring for the longevity of the Jewish people directly correlates to ensuring the vitality of the Jewish state. When the Jewish people did not have Israel, world Jewry’s security was perilous. The expulsion in 1492 from Spain, the pogroms in Russia, and the Holocaust all provide examples in history when our well-being was compromised. While it is not a foregone conclusion that having a state of Israel would have prevented these atrocities, the presence of Israel would have protected Jews. Ergo, my lens on this upcoming election is viewed through the prism of which candidate is best for Israel. This is a complex question, as both Obama and Romney have demonstrated support for the state of Israel. Obama signed the largest foreign aid package to Israel in history while Romney has voiced his unwavering support as well. Obama‘s apparent frosty relationship with PM Benjamin Netanyahu leaves me concerned, especially when contrasted with the close friendship that Romney and Netanyahu possess dating back to 1976. While not mandatory, a strong personal relationship would make it clear to the entire world that an ironclad alliance exists between the two countries. Obama’s approach to Iran and their nuclear weapons program is of concern. He does not demonstrate his comprehension of the tremendous danger Israel faces if Iran goes nuclear. Romney is clear that he will take a firm approach to Iran if elected as his “red line” is nuclear capability. Romney has not had the legislative opportunity to prove his support for Israel, but his pick of Paul Ryan as Vice President is a strong indicator of his unyielding policy toward Iran. Ryan has co-authored legislation which the President grudgingly signed that sanctions the Central Bank of Iran in the hope of stymying its nuclear program. This, I believe, demonstrates the Romney-Ryan ticket’s grasp of this volatile issue. My view on this election has been strongly influenced by the Talmudic idea that we Jews are responsible for one another, which means that the security and the vitality of Israel is of paramount importance to me. 13 PREVIOUS JEA RECIPIENTs

2011 Bilha Schechter Shulamith Y. May Valley Beth Shalom Day School Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy Lisa Feldman Weizmann Day School Lee Tenerowicz Jan Navah Brawerman Elementary School Stephen S. Wise Temple Marnie Greenwald Elementary School Temple Emanuel Academy Day School 2006 Tamar Raff Hava Mirovski Valley Beth Shalom Sinai Akiba Academy Bluma Drebin Harold M. Schulweis Day School Juli Shanblatt YULA Girls High School Bais Yaakov School for Girls Rabbi Simcha Frankel 2002 Menachem 2010 Tami Rosenfeld Rabbi Gordon Pressman Academy Bernat-Kunin Milken Community High School Deborah Cohen Dr. Rennie Wrubel Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Milken Community High School Rabbi Avrohom Klyne Yavneh Hebrew Academy Dalia Golan Beverly Yachzel Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy Beth Marty Uslaner Louis Schwerdtfeger Kadima Hebrew Academy Valley Beth Shalom Day School 2005 Barbara Wirtschafter Bais Yaakov High School for Girls Debra Sokolow Rabbi Berish Goldenberg Milken Community High School Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn-Torath Sara Yoseph Emeth Academy Atid Hebrew Academy 2009 Vivian Levy Sinai Akiba Academy 2001 Shelley Lawrence Sinai-Akiba Academy Chaya Moldaver Frida Eytan Yavneh Hebrew Academy Sinai Akiba Academy Melanie Berkey Dr. Bruce Powell Shalhevet School New Community Jewish High School Carol Goldman Stephen S. Wise Temple Rabbi Mitchel Malkus Robin Solomon Elementary School Pressman Academy Adat Ari El Day School Vered Hopenstand Rabbi Dov Goldman Cheder Menachem 2004 Rabbi Shmuel Jacobs Eileen Horowitz Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn-Torath 2008 Temple Israel of Hollywood Day School Emeth Academy Malka Clement Rick Hepworth Janet Saltsman Stephen S. Wise Temple Yeshiva Gedolah of Los Angeles Heschel West Day School Elementary School Rabbi Mordechai Dubin Suri Nowosiolski Maimonides Academy of Los Angeles 2000 Yavneh Hebrew Academy Pamela Kleinman Kathy Reynolds Heschel West Day School Debra Schaffer Milken Community High School Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Inez Tiger Andi Schochet The Rabbi Jacob Pressman Dena Wolmark Maimonides Academy Bais Yaakov School for Girls Academy of Temple Beth Am Rabbi Pesach Wachsman Emek Hebrew Academy 2007 2003 Elaine Wasserman Mona Riss Aliza Dallalzadeh Temple Israel of Hollywood Day School Emek Hebrew Academy Temple Emanuel Academy Day School Ginny Zemtseff Alan Rosen Rabbi Shlomo Goldberg Sinai Akiba Academy Maimonides Academy Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu 14 1999 Lana Kideckel Marcus 1992 Adat Ari El Day School Irit Eliyahu Janine V. Jacoby Temple Emanuel Academy Day School Esther Markel Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Emek Hebrew Academy Malca Schwarzmer Manuel R. Katz Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu Lee Shaw High Schools Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School of Los Angeles (Boys) Bonita Selk The Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy Rabbi Yochanan Stepen of Temple Beth Am 1995 Emek Hebrew Academy  Rabbi Aron Tendler Elyse Flier Avishag Wyte Yeshiva University High Schools Milken Community High School Temple Emanuel of Los Angeles (Boys) Community Day School Haim Linder Shawn Watanabe Adat Ari El Day School Nili Ziv Milken Community High School Valley Beth Shalom Andrea Silagi Harold M. Schulweis Day School The Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy 1998 of Temple Beth Am 1991 Joan Cohen Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy Dr. Vardina Berdugo Yeshiva University High Schools Susan Dubin Debbie Wachsman of Los Angeles (Girls) Valley Beth Shalom Emek Hebrew Academy Harold M. Schulweis Day School Rabbi Yakov Krause Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn Deborah Norwood 1994 Stephen S. Wise Temple Shirley Levine Elementary School Esther Bar-Shai Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Adat Ari El Day School Rabbi Laurence Scheindlin Lily Mattes Sinai Akiba Academy Rabbi Avrohom Czapnik Kadima Hebrew Academy Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn Shira Smiles Barrie Richter Yeshiva University High Schools Valerie Lev Adat Ari El Day School of Los Angeles (Girls) Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School 1990 1997 Adele Rubin Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Metuka Benjamin Tova Baichman-Kass Stephen S. Wise Temple Schools The Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy Rabbi Dovid Thaler Ohr Elchonon of Temple Beth Am Roxie Esterle Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Joseph Hakimi, Ph.D. Sinai Akiba Academy 1993 Rabbi Menachem Gottesman Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy Lynn Karz Adina Bender  Yeshiva Ohr Eliyahu Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Nachman Mandel Harold M. Schulweis Day School Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn Chaya Shamie Bais Yaakov of Los Angeles Rochelle Majer Krich Rivka Shaked Yeshiva University High Schools Sinai Akiba Academy Mari Siegel of Los Angeles (Girls) Kadima Hebrew Academy Luisa Latham Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School  1996 Of blessed memory Rabbi Joseph Schreiber Rabbi Asher Z. Biron Emek Hebrew Academy Valley Torah High School Suzanne Linden Stein Ofra Dor Sinai Akiba Academy Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School 15 Advancing a Mission in Education

“Education is at the heart of nearly

everything we value as individuals, as

citizens and as productive human beings.”

— Lowell Milken Chairman and Co-Founder

A wealth of human potential is represented by individuals of all ages whose vision and purpose make them dynamic forces for change. The Milken Family Foundation’s mission is to help realize this potential by providing the support that enables people to create and carry out effective, lasting solutions to the challenges facing our communities. The Jewish Educator Awards is one of several MFF initiatives working to advance this mission.

Milken Archive of Jewish Music: The American Experience

The Chicago Tribune hailed the Milken Archive of Jewish Music as “the most comprehensive documentation, ever, of music reflecting Jewish life and culture in America…. The Milkens will realize something that has been a dream of scholars and musicians practically since the dawn of recorded sound.” Launched by Lowell Milken in 1990, this vast “virtual museum” features music, videos, oral histories, photos and essays. The Milken Archive preserves Jewish heritage, even as it reveals the universality of the Jewish experience to people of all faiths and cultures.

“In sharing the Milken Archive’s diverse repertoire, scholarship and multimedia resources, we seek to broaden public awareness for the various forms of Jewish musical expression that have contributed significantly to American Jewish cultural identity and to the music world in general. In the process, we also hope to encourage present and future composers and performers to express Jewish themes in their music.” — Lowell Milken, Founder

16 “The most comprehensive documentation, ever, of music

reflecting Jewish life and culture in America…. The Milkens

will realize something that has been a dream of scholars and

musicians practically since the dawn of recorded sound.”

Chicago Tribune 17 Advancing a Mission

Milken Educator Awards Coined the “Oscars of teaching” by Teachers Magazine, the Milken Educator Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards to K–12 teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future. Each honoree joins the Milken Educator Network, a group of distinguished professionals whose expertise serves as a valuable resource to fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others shaping the future of education. “As a Milken Educator Award recipient, I was charged with the responsibility to be an agent for change in education. I take this opportunity seriously.” — Dexter Chaney II, Illinois Milken Educator

National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Educator excellence… Student achievement… Opportunities for all Recognizing that an effective teacher is the most important school-based factor impacting student achievement, Lowell Milken founded the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) with a commitment to ensuring a highly skilled, strongly motivated and competitively compensated teacher for every classroom in America. Partnering with states, districts and schools nationwide, NIET works to attract, develop, support and retain high-quality human capital, through two signature initiatives: the Best Practices Center and TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement. The NIET Best Practices Center (BPC) provides innovative services, support and solutions to schools, districts and states to improve educator effectiveness. BPC is well known for educator evaluation systems that accurately measure performance and support improvements in teacher skills using multiple measures. TAP™: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement is a comprehensive school reform model that provides teachers with powerful opportunities for career advancement, ongoing professional development, a fair evaluation system and performance-based compensation. TAP is proof that systemic reform can work. “Every young person deserves the high-quality educational experience that only a talented teacher can provide. What’s more, our nation’s future strength is directly linked to the effectiveness of our educators.” — Lowell Milken, Founder and Chairman National Institute for Excellence in Teaching 18 Milken Scholars Michael and Lori Milken founded the Milken Scholars in 1989 to honor exceptional young men and women who have demonstrated the potential to make a profound difference in the world. Scholars are chosen while high school seniors on the basis of distinguished academic performance, school and community service, leadership, and evidence of having overcome personal and social obstacles. Milken Scholars receive financial assistance during their undergraduate careers. Yet, what makes the program truly unique is the vast array of resources provided to scholarship recipients. Being a Milken Scholar means joining an extended family and building relationships with fellow Scholars and Foundation staff who provide a strong support system that lasts over time. “Whether they become doctors, research scientists, educators, entrepreneurs or diplomats, the common denominator of Milken Scholars is a genuine sense of service.” — Mike Milken

Mike’s Math Club Learning that appeals to a sense of fun and discovery captures children’s interest and imagination. Mike’s Math Club, a curriculum enrichment program, shows students in inner-city elementary schools that math is not only useful, but entertaining. Students learn “secret codes” and “handy hints” that promote math skills, while they play math games and gain a sense of self-worth. Learning with the Mike’s Math Club Team is important proof to students that learning can be its own reward. “My mother said it was going to take a miracle to make me interested in math, but now she likes how I come home confident about my math homework.” — Fifth-grade student, Birdielee V. Bright Elementary School

Milken Family Foundation

www.MFF.org

19 Grant-Giving Activities in Education

In addition to its signature initiatives in education, the Milken Family Foundation is committed to the realization of human potential through grants and ongoing partnerships with organizations and individuals sharing our mission, such as those described below.

Lowell Milken Center The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) discovers, develops and communicates the stories of unsung heroes who have made a profound and positive difference on the course of history. Through student-driven project-based learning, people throughout the world learn that each of us has the responsibility and the power to take actions that “repair the world” by improving the lives of others. LMC was founded in 2007 in partnership with Milken Educator Norman Conard (KS ’92), a Kansas high school history teacher whose instructional leadership has resulted in national honors for both his students and himself. Now in its sixth year, the Lowell Milken Center has engaged more than 5,000 schools across all 50 states and 26 nations. LMC is an endeavor of the Lowell Milken Family Foundation. “We believe that children can reach over walls of bias that adults can never hope to, reaching out and changing lives. Young people can take the lead in inspiring others to repair the world.” — Norman Conard, Kansas Milken Educator and Executive Director Lowell Milken Center

Milken Community High School More than 800 students benefit from a college preparatory education designed to develop students intellectually, spiritually, artistically and physically at Milken Community High School (MCHS), a Jewish day school nationally respected for its rigorous curriculum that challenges students to achieve their individual best. Four signature MCHS programs include the Mitchell Academy of Science and Technology, which engages students through research and discovery; the Architecture + Design Institute, which offers college-level training; the Beit Midrash Fellowship, which focuses on Jewish values and texts; and the Tiferet Israel Fellowship, which forges a lifelong bond with Israel. 20 Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law By setting new standards in business law education, the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy prepares students for outstanding careers and leadership in business law as well as in business, the non-profit sector and philanthropy. The Institute simultaneously serves as a dynamic hub of research and strategy for practitioners, scholars and experts across a variety of disciplines. A keen emphasis on innovative research at the intersection of law and business is supported by a widely recognized business law faculty, a unique blend of policy and practice courses designed to prepare students for diverse opportunities in the new economy, and a relevant slate of conferences and scholarly events that further solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing challenges.

HighTech-Los Angeles Officially dedicated in 2004, HighTech-Los Angeles (HT-LA) is a partnership among the Los Angeles Unified School District, corporations and foundations. This innovative public charter school engages students with a rigorous curriculum rich in technology complemented by real-world internships. HT-LA’s diverse student population, which draws from over 30 ZIP Codes, achieved California Distinguished School status in record time. The school’s initial lead grant was a commitment from the Lowell Milken Family Foundation.

The Children of Willesden Lane The Children of Willesden Lane is the story of author/pianist Mona Golabek’s mother, who was rescued as a girl during World War II aboard the Kindertransport and survived tragedy to become a concert pianist. Recognizing the book’s potential to inform and inspire young people, Lowell Milken commissioned an interdisciplinary curriculum guide to support the book’s use in schools. The curriculum guide, complete with recordings referenced in the book, is available free of charge.

21 22 Milken Family Foundation Mission Statement

The Milken Family Foundation was established by Lowell and Michael Milken in 1982 with the mission to discover and advance inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and those around them lead productive and satisfying lives. The Foundation advances this mission primarily through its work in education and medical research.

In EDUCATION, the Foundation is committed to:

• Strengthening the profession by recognizing and rewarding outstanding educators, and by expanding their professional leadership and policy influence.

• Attracting, developing, motivating and retaining the best talent to the teaching profession by means of comprehensive, whole-school reform.

• Stimulating creativity and productivity among young people and adults through programs that encourage learning as a lifelong process.

• Building vibrant communities by involving people of all ages in programs that contribute to the revitalization of their community and to the well-being of its residents.

In MEDICAL RESEARCH, the Foundation is committed to:

• Advancing and supporting basic and applied medical research—especially in the areas of prostate cancer and epilepsy—and recognizing and rewarding outstanding scientists in these areas.

• Supporting basic health care programs to assure the well-being of community members of all ages.

23 board of trustees

Lowell Milken Michael Milken Chairman and Co-Founder Ralph Finerman Richard Sandler Mariano Guzmán Lynda Resnick Dr. Julius Lesner Lori Milken Ellen Sandler Ferne Milken Joni Milken-Noah Dr. Thomas C. Boysen Gregory A. Milken Katherine Nouri Hughes Roosevelt Grier

professional staff

Lowell Milken Richard Sandler Chairman and Co-Founder Executive Vice President Lawrence Lesser Dr. Jane Foley Senior Vice President, Senior Vice President, Creative Services Milken Educator Awards Ralph Finerman Susan M. Fox Senior Vice President Senior Vice President and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Bonnie Somers Joni Milken-Noah Senior Vice President, Vice President, Communications Mike’s Math Club Gary Panas Dahlia Geilman Vice President of Design Program Director, Grants Roosevelt Grier Program Administrator, Community Affairs

24 For inquires regarding the Jewish Educator Awards program, please contact:

Milken Family Foundation 1250 Fourth Street Santa Monica, California 90401

Phone: (310) 570-4800 Fax: (310) 570-4801 Email: [email protected] www.mff.org

Ver. 12/12 ©2012 Milken Family Foundation Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd • Los Angeles • December 13, 2012